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Odor Control? Carbon Scrubber not catching it all....

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thegrower

Member
Hey guys im looking for some help with odor control....

I made a DIY carbon scrubber and it certainly helps with smell but my plants are still in veg and even with the scrubber it still smells in my attic... I have a scrubber with a 4" core and a 6" outer diameter... so im trying to think of ways to improve my odor control... Should I switch to an 8" outer diameter [doubling the amount of carbon]?

Do i need to soak the activated carbon in water before i use it in order to "activate" it? I think i read something like that somewhere...

Also I was looking into ONA gel, putting some of that near the scrubber might help?

Im just really concerned cause im not even flowering yet and already they stink like hell....

Please gimme some advice / ideas!
 
Wacky Tobacky

Wacky Tobacky

Active member
ya the difference is money.... lol... i never heard of dipping it in water... i would buy mine at the pet store just used it out of the box worked fine.
 
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thegrower said:
Do i need to soak the activated carbon in water before i use it in order to "activate" it? I think i read something like that somewhere...
Click to expand...

Carbon is activated by the manufacturer. Its steamed to 1800 degrees and forms pockets and pores which increase its surface area (1lb=5 football fields). When used in an aqarium filter its rinsed to remove any sute and dust so it doesn't cloud your tank. I used to work at a pet store for some time and had several fresh and salt water setups which is the only reason I know any of this. From what I remember the Carbon derived from coconut shells would be better for air filtration than the coal based ones, the pores are larger with coal.

As far as your situation with the stinky attic, have you concidered a better fan instead of replacing the filter? Seems like more airflow through the filter would help get rifd of that extra smell. Or maybe even add a supplemental purifier to the room. Something like this HEPA Air Purifier.
 
2buds

2buds

Active member
I always understood the carbon should be 2" thick so with a 4" core you should have an 8" outside diameter, I also want to remember the air should stay in contact with the carbon for at least a second as it passes over the carbon. I bought a carbon scrubber from bghydro, it has worked great for 1.5 years now. When making them the carbon should be packed extremely tight. Airflow should match the overall surface area of carbon you have so the air has a chance to be scrubbed as it passes through the carbon. Good job nipping it in the but now before things get real stinky. Stay safe. Peace.

Dutchbreeze brand carbon filter. Assembled with screws so it can be serviced easily. Haven't had to replace the carbon yet.
 
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thegrower

Member
i have a 6" 235cfm whisper fan pushing the air upward and out of the box about 8' of ducting then thru the scrubber... scrubber is 6" O.D. x 3' long... think i still need a supplemental fan?

I thru my holmes hepa purifier/ionizer up there along with some baking soda boxes, and some odor-netutral orderizers.... its under control for now but i would like to get it back down to just teh scrubber if possible...

Grow box is like 2.5'x2.5'x5' do you think 235cfm is too lil airflow? if not then ill try adding another layer of carbon to the outside, making it a 8" O.D.

:)
 
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thegrower said:
i have a 6" 235cfm whisper fan ...
Click to expand...

Take what I say with a grain of salt as I'm new to this stuff as well. Just trying to help where I can. From what I can tell your fan looks like the problem. Its basically a Muffin/Pc fan correct? It needs the rated 220v power supply/adapter to obtain the 200+ cfm. At 110v it's only pushing 100 cfm, and with 8 feet of duct that sounds like quite a chore, not to mention the scrubber.

Here is something you may find of intrest, its pretty much what I was going by.


The actual unit is 220 volts, but this is also the reason they are so convenient. They perform at a whisper(<30dba) while performing at 110v, and the estimated cfm is 100-130.

At the RATED voltage, they do 220-235 cfm, but at a 55dba. this is not as loud as a differant 55dba like a vantec, because the noise is more of a deep sound compared to the higher pitched 92mm and 80mm tornado's. You will need an converter to run at 220v.
Click to expand...
From: Overclock.net
 
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It's pretty much the same. What I meant was not a fan with the steel housing like a Vortex or Can-fan.

I'd wait for for someone with more experience to chime in before you run out and buy an adapter.
 
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mrgrowmez

mrgrowmez

Member
If your running it straight from your wall-outlet woundnt that be 220v standard? or is there a 110v adapter that your using now......
 
bartender187

bartender187

Bakin in da Sun
Veteran
That is a PC fan also known as an axial fan. It will not properly pull air through your filter. I recoomend gettin a 4" carbon filter, with a 4" inline fan. Axial fans are meant to move air between two large bodies of air. They dont have the suction to be able to properly pull air through your filter. my .02
 
bartender187

bartender187

Bakin in da Sun
Veteran
Yes. That is my opinion. 4" Inline fan and 4" can filter any brand... theres even some DIY links on these boards, but imo its not worth the trouble.
 
E

ezbake

Member
Ever try odor killer gel, OR, Ona blocks? Both are these little containers of gel that supposedly kills odors... check bghydro for the odor killer gel
 
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